Fife town launches mobile response for out-of-hours mental health crisis calls

The project, which got off the ground in June thanks to funding from Fife Council’s Levenmouth Area Committee, operates at weekends, ready to mobilise to help people who need it.

Emergency services who receive calls during that time assess if urgent mental health support is required, sending the car with trained professionals out to the person in need.

The service involves a range of organisations including Fife Health and Social Care Partnership, Fife Council, NHS Fife Scottish Ambulance Service, Police Scotland, Fife Voluntary Action and other third sector projects.

Lynne Garvey, head of the partnership’s community care services and Levenmouth Locality lead said: “This pilot project has been a great example of a range of partners coming together to try something different to help people who are in crisis.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to get the pilot project off the ground and to Levenmouth Area Committee whose funding made starting the project possible.”

Councillor Colin Davidson, Fife Council’s Levenmouth Area Committee Convener, said: “This committee is doing something that no other committee in Fife is doing and members deserve a lot of credit for taking this leap of faith: putting money into kick-starting what we believe is a really innovative approach to supporting people who contact emergency services with a mental health need or emotional distress.

“It’s been driven by people on the frontline, in particular the Police, Fife Voluntary Action and charities who currently provide the support and funded the research, and I think it shows we have a joined up and collaborative approach to addressing the challenges different services are facing in the Levenmouth area.

“We’ve taken great care to ensure this mental health response car can hit the ground running, and really make a tangible difference to not only individuals but also in terms of reducing the strain on resources for both health professionals and police officers.

“It’s unique, it’s groundbreaking, and, as a committee, we’re confident it’s going to be a great success.”

An evaluation of the project at the end of the year will help inform future planning.